Cuff link



. oct. 2,l 11528. 1,686,235

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cUFF LINK Filed DSG. 15,- 1927 ATTORNEY Patented Get. 2, 1925i.

*UNITED stares teens@ T, 'll

CHARLES W. HEASLEY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

CUFF LINK.

Application tiled December 13, 1927. Serial No.v 239,680.

' ible member `connecting both cuff-buttons means whereby said buttonsmay be readily connected'or; disconnected to facilitate the insertion ofthe individual cuff-buttons in their respective button-holes, or theextrae? tion therefrom. Additional features and advantages ofl thisinvention will appear from Athefollowing description considered inconnection with the accompanying drawing forming a part of thisapplication, and in which: Y

Fignl is a sectional view of one button of the cuff-link. 1 y

Fig. 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of the companion button toFig. l. 1

Fig; 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing both buttons of thecuff-link connected together.

Figs. l and 5 are enlarged detail views showing the preferred means forconnecting the flexible members of both buttons together.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the connecting element shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 7 and 8 show another method of rer leasably connecting theflexible members of a cuff-link.-

Fig. 9 represents a third method of connecting said flexible member.

Fig. 10 is an end elevation of the left hand connecting element shown inFig. 9. n

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of the right hand connecting element ofFig. 9, with the catch-member removed.

Fig. 12 vis a perspective view of the catch member used in Fig. 9.

This application is especiallyintended to cover an important improvementand addition to an expansible cuff-link invented .by me and which formstheksubject matter of Patent Number 1,645,907, datedQctober 18,

The disadvantage. of this last lnamed cufflink, as welll as many otherpatented cuff-links of this type, lies in the fact that, in order tofasten the connected cuff-links to sleeve-cuffs, the rather voluminousoutside buttons of said links must be passed through the button-holes ofthejcuffs. These holes being sometimes too small to accommodate saidbuttons, it, therefore, becomes necessary to enlarge them to suit thecuff-links. v i

To overcome this inconvenience and enable the wearing of cufflinkshaving outside buttons of'any desirable shape and dimensions, regardlessof the size of the button-holes,f1 prefer to use the improvedconstruction de` tailed in Figs. 1 to 6. As shown therein,the generaldesign of this cuft-linkis similarto the o ne shown in the above namedpatent `and consists of the two cuff-buttons 1 connected together bymeans of a flexibley member, such as a chain. n y

Each cufffbutton consists of a box-member 3 in the bottom 4; of which iscentrallydis-y posed a hollow stud 5 provided with a flange 6. intheend-walls Zand-6 of the box-member are provided the apertures 9 and 10in which is rotatably mounted an axle 11, comprising a shank 12 havingat one end the angularly disposed locking-arm 13 and at the other end adiametral slot y14 of suitable length. Surrounding the shank is acoilspring 15 which is encased in the hollow roller 16. rThe latter ispreferably made from a flat strip of metalbent into a cylinder hav-V inga lonigtudinal slot 17. At one end of said roller is cutat an angle thenotch 18.

The coil-spring has at one end th-e inwardly i directed extension 19which engagesthe slot 14- of the axle 12,' and at the vother end of saidspring there is formed an outwardly directed hook 2O which is properlyshaped to fit within the notch 18.

rlllhe flexible yconnecting member, such as the chain, is made of twoparts 2 and 2b, each of which is attached to its corresponding button bypassing one end of the former tion of the hook 20, or by inserting thelast but one link flatwise into the longitudinal slot 1'?7 whereby thechain is prevented from pulling'out of said slot by the last linka Thedesired tension in the chain is obtained by turning the axle 19J in theproper direction to wind up the coil-spring 15, and said tensiony is`through the hollow stud 5 and then hooking the last link thereof to theprotruding pormaintained by pushing theA lock-arm 13 into a recess 21suitably located in the end-wall 7 of the box member. rl`he latter isclosed by means of a cover or cap 22, the sidesof which lit snugly overthe box-member and whereby the lock-arm is held securely in its recess.

The top '23,of said cap may be ornamented in any desired manner to suitthe requirements of the trade.

When in normal pause, both but-tons Vof a cuff-link mustbe connectedtogether in order vto hold both flaps of a cuff. In the preferredembodiment of my invention I use as releasable connecting means a`snap-button of special desi n comprising the male element 24 and the yeinale lelement- '25 swivell secured`V respectively at the free ends othe flexible connecting elements 2'* and 2b.

26 of Ithe male yelement fits by snap engagement into the cup-shapedfemale Lelelby the inward pull lexerted by the chain-ele- EIri'nts 2 and2b. As will'be noted from the drawing, the male and female elements 24and 25 act also as stops for limiting the Vamount of winding of I-t'heflexible elements `o'ntheirrespective drums. v

l In Figs. 7 and 8 Ithe chain elements Za and ='2b lare releasablyconnected together yby lmeans -o'f'a snap-hook 30 vand a large link '31se- -cured respectively Aat lthe vouter Aends of' 'sa-id chains. Theshape of said hook and large link is also suchas to fit 4for a.considerable fdis'tancewithin Vthe flared mouths of the hol- "lw Shanksfor reasons-stated above.

Another 'method Y of releasably connecting v ftogether bothchain-elements -of a cuff-link -i's shownin Figs. 9 to 12. Asillustrated therein, the connector element "for the chain i2acoinprisesabody4portion`32 and a flattened rear-portion 33 in 'which'an aperturev34 is made for 'attaching the chain. 'I'he bodyportion vis Ypartlyhollowed out, as at 35, and has a central 'aperture 36. -The otherconnector-element comprises a `body 37jhaving at the front a centrallydisposed tubular pin 38adapted to engage the 4aperture 36. Thebodyportion is hollowed out at the rear, fas at 39, `and is swivellyconnected to the "chain 2f by the ball-joint 40 placed in the hollow 39.Securedto th'ebody 37 by means of the screw 4l and engaging the tubularpin 38 is'the'resilient catch element 42 having at the front a hook 43and intermediate said hook vand rear end 44 the push-button 45. Thetubular pin is, 'of course, provided `with'suit'able apertures 'toaccommodate said fhook and push-button. 4To connect theconjnector-elements together, the tubular pin is inserted in the'aperture 36 and "then pushed `,in until the suitably shaped hook 43 willhave' enteredthe hollow 35' and snapped back into normal positiontol'engage the lfront wall of said hollow. ITo"slepa'iratethe'two buttonsThe vball-v `lble members itogethen of the cuff-link, sufficientpressure is exerted on the 'push-button 45 to force the hook inside o'f'the tubular pin 38, the latter being then pulled out off the 4aperture36.

To apply a cufllink of yhe type shown in Figs. l to 6, for instance, thesnap connectors 24, 25 are first pulled apart and the flange 6 of eachcuil-button 'is then passed through the corresponding button-hole of thecuff. rIlhen, by properly guiding the "c-ulf-buttons and pressing' themagainst each other, the ball-portion 24 is snapped into thesocketportion '25 whereby the `desired connection is established. Thefrictional engagement between the parts 24 25 must be `suf fic'ient toovercome the resistance fofft'he 'ten-v sioned spring l5 when the'chai'nelements y*22* and '2b `4are fully u'nwound, but 'must fb'e 'liess than'the tensile strength fofsaidc'hains yso that when undue stressesareexerted'fon the cu'ff- "link, said 'connectors will separate beforethe chains break, thus automatically preventing any damage to 2thecudlink from this source. 4 y

lAs will 'be understood, as suggested herein, 'there may v'be slight=changes made in the construction and .arrangement 'of thedetails 'of myinvention without departing from the fieldand scope of'thefsar'nfe, `andI intend y'to include all such variations, as fall within the scope ofthe appended claims, 'inthisapplication in which only a few `torn-is:ofvmily invention havefbeen disclosed.

I claim: l

l.. In a cuff-link, ap'air of cufflbutt'o'ns; a flexible `extensible andlretraetib'ilemember on each button, and means for Vdetaehablyconnecting vsaid flexible 1members together.

2. In va vcu'lfl'elin-k, a pair of cliff-battons,-

'a fi'exible extensible and ret'ractible meinbe'r on each button; means:for winding V'each flexible member-into its respectivefbuttomand meansfor -detachably 3. In a cuff-link, a pair of cuff-buttons;

-a flexible vextensible and retraotib'le anember on each button;yielding-mearrsforwinding each lflexible'member-'into vits respectivebutton, and means'f'or detaChably-fconnecti-ng said flexible memberstogether.

. 4. In a cuffilink, a vpairof-cufibuttons; a flexible extensibleandretractiblefniember 'on each button; spring fineans for windingconnecting said flexii each flexible member finto its vvrespective-butiton, and means vfor detach'ablyconnecting said flexible -memberstogether.

5. In a'culf-link, a n.pair of -rcuyff-br'lttons;

"a flexible extensible `and retractiblefmember l on "each 'buttonadjustablev spring means fer winding each flexible member into itsrespective button; and meanszfordetachably connecting xsaid flexiblemembers together.

a flexible extensible and iretractible finel'nloer' on each `button.;adju-stable spiiin'gimeans iter tive button,

Winding each flexible member into its respecand detachable means forhingeclly connecting said flexible members together. y

7. In a cuff-link, a pair of cuff-buttons; means for removably securingeach button to its corresponding button-hole; a flexible extensible andretractible member on each bntton; means for Winding each flexiblemember into its respective button, and means for detaohably connectingsaid` flexible members together. Y

8. In a cuff-link, a pair of cuff-buttons; means for removably securingeach button to its coresponding button-hole; a flexible extensible andretractiblev member on each button; adjustable spring means for Windingeach flexible member into its respective button, and detachable meansfor hingedly conneoting said flexible members together, said meanscomprising 'a female element positioned at the free end of one flexiblemember and a male element adapted for snap engagement with the femaleelement and positioned at the free end of the other flexible member. l e

In testimonv whereof I affix my signature. CHARLES W. HEASLEY.

